Season 1 – Banana Fish

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TheMovieSearch R @TheMovieSearch Aug 19 Banana Fish is a Japanese animated crime drama series that has built up a strong reputation overseas for being bold, creative, and emotionally powerful. It’s very different from the typical anime most people might think of—it leans more into crime, violence, and heavy drama rather than flashy fantasy worlds or over-the-top comedy. When I sat down to watch it, I immediately noticed how unique the tone was. This wasn’t just another anime with exaggerated characters and wild humor—this was dark, gritty, and full of serious storytelling. There’s a lot of bloodshed, gang rivalries, and emotional struggles woven into the narrative. You can tell the creators wanted it to feel cinematic, like something that could almost work as a live-action drama because of the way it builds tension and focuses on character relationships. That said, I personally felt a bit lost while watching it. Since it’s in Japanese and I don’t speak the language, I found myself relying on the visuals and the atmosphere to try and understand what was happening. Sometimes with foreign films or series, that works well—you can pick up on the emotions, the body language, the energy of the scenes without needing every word spelled out. I was hoping for that here, but unfortunately, the story is so layered and dialogue-driven that I couldn’t fully grasp everything just from watching. It made it harder to connect with the characters on a deeper level, even though I could tell the emotion and intensity were there. Despite that, I can’t deny the creativity and direction. The animation quality is strong, the action sequences are bloody but very sharp in how they’re framed, and the emotional moments are powerful even if you don’t catch every single piece of dialogue. The series doesn’t shy away from violence—it uses it as a storytelling device, showing the brutality of the world these characters are trapped in. That makes it stand out compared to a lot of safer, more traditional anime shows. For me personally, though, this wasn’t a series that really clicked. I’m not an anime person in general—I only enjoy a small handful of anime titles that fit my taste. Banana Fish wasn’t one that I would go back to or revisit, but I do see why it resonates with so many people. The crime drama fans, the anime community, and people who love character-driven stories in darker settings would definitely find a lot to appreciate here. So while I can’t say it’s for me, I do recommend it for anime fans who want something more serious, more crime-focused, and a lot more emotionally heavy than what you might normally expect. Even though it wasn’t a personal favorite, I respect the work of the director, the vision of the storytelling, and the quality of the animation. It’s not the kind of anime that goes for easy entertainment—it’s the kind that wants to stick with you. See more BeenJammin T @RT49610629 07/04/2024 Fantastic encompassing plots Well done! Would like to see another from this company! See more Lea o @RT14820160 03/31/2024 SO INCREDIBLE AND HEARTBREAKING AND CRAZY OMDHSHWBSHSJSJE See more Ashish P @RT85695420 05/25/2023 Banana Fish has amazing action, some beautiful animation (Thanks to MAPPA) and a story to match it all even if the end might leave a bad taste in some people's mouth. See more 07/12/2020 Riveting, full bodied storytelling built in an unnerving world that leaves you vengeful, sad and engaged until the very end. Our lead is slowly revealed as such a multidimensional and complex character by the end it makes you even more uncomfortable and eager for salvation. The friendships are told with beautiful emotionally driven masculinity, blurring the lines and bringing laughs at times. It's not your average street boy gangsta anime by any means. Dark, haunting and masterfully done. This is a great anime. See more Read all reviews

Banana Fish — Season 1

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